Earlier this week, InsideTulsaSports.com reported that Tulsa had extended a scholarship offer to Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington defensive end Derrick Alexander. The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder made an official visit to TU this weekend and switched his commitment to the Golden Hurricane.

"It was good," he said of the visit. "The campus is beautiful. I like the academic prowess of the school, and I like where I would fit on their defense and how they would use me. I like the tradition of the school -- the winning -- that's becoming a tradition now.

"I like the fact that they recruit Oklahoma players, and I know I'm going to be playing with people that I know, for example like Trent Martin, Dwight Dobbins, Garrett Stafford, Gary Lee. I'll be going to school with people I've known for a while. They are recruiting people that know how to win championships. They're just putting it together right."

While he likes the fact of having familiar teammates, Alexander was initially set to go out of state for college and was previously committed to Louisiana-Monroe.

"Actually, I wanted to get out of town," he explained. "That was really the one thing that would have made me not want to go there was the fact it was in Tulsa. But when I got there, it's a cool school, and when you are on campus, you don't even feel like you are in Tulsa."

Another factor in his decision to switch his commitment from ULM to Tulsa was the new Golden Hurricane coaching staff.

"The new coaching staff is really good," he said. "You've got Coach (Brent) Guy, defensive coordinator, and Adam Blankenship as defensive end coach. The players that are at TU had a lot of great things to say about (Head) Coach (Bill) Blankenship. I didn't even have to ask. It was pretty genuine. Everybody likes him and that's great. I'm looking forward to it."

"When I was there, I spent a lot of time with Coach Adam Blankenship. He's really intense, and I love him. I have a feeling we're going to be good."

Alexander helped lead Washington to a state title, contributing 151 tackles, 14 sacks and four forced fumbles. He believes he can carry that success over to TU.

"I have a high motor. I'm very intense," he described. "I have a really good first-step, but that has to get better. I feel like I'm really coachable. I'm a leader, and I can hit."

Tulsa currently has 24 commitments in the 2011 recruiting class. National Signing Day is on Wednesday, February 2nd.

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